PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Northern Maine Community College seniors gathered on May 6 to celebrate their academic success and approaching graduation. The Graduates’ Banquet, held in the NMCC gymnasium, featured a dinner served by Aramark Dining Services and academic achievement awards presented to outstanding members of the Class of 2017.
The awards included the following.
Eric Crouse of Houlton earned the Robert P. Clark Scholarship, funded by the Maine Community System Trustees. This new full-tuition scholarship is offered to a business student in honor of Robert Clark of Fort Fairfield. Clark is the first alumnus from the college to serve as the System’s Board of Trustees chair. He served as chair until 2016, but still serves on the board. Clark is the executive director of the Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou.
Crouse will receive his senior year tuition free as a business administration student beginning in the fall of 2017.
Candace Whitmore of Caribou and Brady Hawkins of Lincoln won the Falcon Spirit Award. This award recognizes students who have gone beyond the call of duty to help make NMCC a better place through volunteering, campus involvement and overall good citizenship.
Staff next presented the Award of Excellence cash awards to Jaimee Amero of Presque Isle and Caleb Cullen of Patten. This recognition was established by an anonymous donor who was affected both personally and professionally by several NMCC graduates. Recipients are well-rounded NMCC students who use good judgement, are academically strong, work well with others, think creatively, and possess the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
Each year, faculty select a graduate from their respective programs to receive Academic Achievement Awards, based on a variety of criteria, including academic performance and attitude.
Winners of this year’s Academic Achievement Awards, and their respective majors, include: Tanya Damboise, Caribou, early childhood education; Karessa Grenier, Presque Isle, liberal studies; Bethany McAvoy, Waterville, liberal studies; Lynn Kelly, Fort Kent, accounting; David Craw, Washburn, business administration; Amanda Eivers, Presque Isle, nursing; Linda Theberge, Van Buren, medical assisting; Mariah Green, Fairfield, medical coding; Caleb Cullen, Patten, emergency medical services.
Also, Michael Michaud, Presque Isle, automotive technology; Edward Escobar, Presque Isle, building construction technology; Casey Gove, Houlton, computer and network technology; Mitchel Rioux, New Canada, diesel hydraulics technology; Dylan Fox, Fort Fairfield, electrical construction and maintenance; Chad Morneault, Madawaska, plumbing and heating; Brady Hawkins, Lincoln, precision machining technology; William Rees, Saco, structural welding; Alex Dube, Newburgh, wind power technology.
The Student Senate presented the Instructor of the Year Award to Ryan Drost, NMCC mathematics instructor. The senate annually honors an instructor who is exceptionally supportive in and out of the classroom. Only the student body participates in the selection process.
NMCC Academic Achievement Award recipients include, from left, Taya Damboise, Karessa Grenier, Bethany McAvoy, David Craw, Amanda Eivers, Caleb Cullen, Edward Escobar and Dylan Fox. Back row, Chad Morneault, Brady Hawkins, Alex Dube, and William Rees. Absent from the photo are Lynn Kelly, Linda Theberge, Mariah Green, Casey Gove and Mitchel Rioux. (Contributed)
